Blossom Episode 6 Recap
> Blossom Recap
Yunyang Bo came to find Song Mo and learned that there was a woman, comparable to Zhuge Liang, advising Song Mo behind the scenes. Yunyang Bo had also contributed significantly to these efforts. Noticing the sachet ball hanging on Song Mo’s waist, he immediately guessed it belonged to someone Song Mo admired.
Yunyang Bo offered to help propose marriage on his behalf, reassuring Song Mo not to worry and asserting that the Duke of Dingguo would surely emerge from this crisis unscathed. However, Song Mo still felt uneasy. From Wu Ge’lao, Song Mo heard about Dou Shishu’s comments in court. Wu Ge’lao also mentioned he should try the Dou family’s zongzi when he had the chance.
Song Mo didn’t understand the deeper meaning behind this, but the remark deepened his suspicions about the Dou family. His guards, Lu Zheng and Lu Ming, even began to question why Dou Zhao, an unmarried woman from the inner chambers, had such a grasp on court affairs. They speculated that the Dou family might all be pieces on her chessboard and worried they themselves might fall under her control.
Song Mo, though disturbed, decided to observe the situation quietly for now. Dou Shishu, frustrated at being forced into a leave of absence, sought to strengthen court alliances. He approached Wang Yingxue, suggesting they arrange marriages between Wu Shan and Dou Ming, as well as Wei Tingyu and Dou Zhao. Wang Yingxue understood his intentions but saw potential mutual benefits and readily agreed to facilitate the matchmaking. She immediately sent out invitations.
Her subordinate worried that Dou Ming would be overshadowed since Wei Tingyu’s status was higher than Wu Shan’s. However, Wang Yingxue had already done her research. Although Wu Shan's rank was relatively low, Wei Tingyu was a notorious playboy who wasted his family’s wealth and frequented brothels. His family had long been in decline, with his elder sister Wei Tingzhen marrying into an ordinary household with no real standing.
When Wei Tingzhen received the invitation, she found Wei Tingyu at a brothel, discussing poetry and painting. She demanded he meet the Dou family’s daughters and fulfill the arranged marriage. Wei Tingyu, already biased against Dou Zhao for her rumored vulgarity, initially resisted. Wei Tingzhen, however, persuaded him by highlighting Dou Zhao’s beauty and wealth. Reluctantly, Wei Tingyu agreed to meet her.
Hearing that Wei Tingyu was coming to visit, Dou Zhao recalled her previous life, where she had suffered under his abuse after their marriage. He had even falsely accused her of colluding with Song Mo. This time, she was determined to settle the score. When Wei Tingyu arrived at the Dou residence, he first saw Dou Ming chasing butterflies and was moved by her delicate grace. Then he noticed Dou Zhao shooting arrows and was startled by her bold demeanor.
Wu Shan, on the other hand, admired Dou Zhao's confidence and strength. Dou Zhao deliberately portrayed herself as someone with interests opposite to Wei Tingyu’s, hoping to dissuade him. When Dou Ming expressed interest in archery, she was scolded by Wang Yingxue, who admonished her that such activities were inappropriate for women. Wu Shan, observing Dou Zhao miss several shots, stepped in and hit the target effortlessly with his own bow and arrow.
Dou Zhao then challenged Wei Tingyu to try archery. Wei Tingyu, eager to impress Dou Ming, boasted about his archery skills, only to miss repeatedly and hit the roof instead of the target gourd. Dou Zhao mocked him by perfectly following the techniques he had bragged about, hitting the target in one shot. Embarrassed and frustrated, Wei Tingyu desperately wanted to withdraw from the marriage but couldn’t find a valid excuse.
Meanwhile, Dou Ming felt inadequate, comparing her skills to her elder sister’s and blaming herself for not being as capable. Wei Tingyu, however, consoled her, remarking that branches and arrows each had their own roles and strengths, and there was no need for self-doubt. He even gently removed a leaf from Dou Ming’s hair, causing her heart to flutter as she hurriedly excused herself. Later, both Dou Ming and Dou Zhao presented embroidered tiger tokens.
Dou Zhao intentionally used coarse stitches to make hers look rough, ensuring Dou Ming’s would stand out. Wei Tingyu grudgingly accepted Dou Zhao’s token but secretly admired the one Wu Shan held, which Dou Ming had embroidered. Wu Shan, however, preferred Dou Zhao’s rugged work. Wang Yingxue organized a butterfly-catching event, hoping to foster connections among the young guests. She subtly tried to pair Dou Ming with Wu Shan.
However, in the garden, Wei Tingyu dropped his tiger token, which Wu Shan picked up. When Wu Shan attempted to return it, Wei Tingyu insisted on swapping tokens, favoring the one Dou Ming had made. Just then, a swarm of butterflies, which had been intentionally arranged, flew toward Wu Shan. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a servant deliberately dirtied Dou Zhao’s clothes, prompting an elderly maid to insist she go to another room to change.
Dou Ming wanted to follow her in but was stopped by the maid. This raised Dou Zhao’s suspicions, so she barged in with others, discovering Wu Shan unconscious on the bed. Upon inquiry, they learned he had been stung by phoenix butterflies. Dou Zhao examined Wu Shan and found him wearing the tiger token she had made. He was struggling to breathe and had developed red rashes.
Remembering an account from the *Records of the Enlightened Age* that stated Wu Shan had died on this very day during the Dragon Boat Festival, Dou Zhao became furious. She slapped the maid, warning that if anything happened to Wu Shan while he was a guest in their home, no one could bear the consequences. Seeing his worsening condition, she immediately ordered him to be moved to an open area outside.
In another room, Sheng Tianfu Yin, Dai Jian, was chatting with Dou Shishu, who presented him with zongzi as a gift. Dai Jian casually touched the zongzi, as though realizing something. Unexpectedly, Song Mo arrived with soldiers carrying the zongzi from Wu Ge’lao’s residence. These zongzi, also sent by Dou Shishu, were examined by Song Mo, who revealed they contained gold.
He sternly warned Dou Shishu that if he dared to frame Jiang Meisun again, he would present these zongzi directly to the emperor. At this moment, news arrived that Wu Shan had been carried to the open ground outside. Wu Shan was the grandson of Wu Ge’lao. Fearing harm, Song Mo rushed to the scene, only to find Dou Zhao about to administer acupuncture. Dai Jian, furious, insisted Wu Shan be taken to a doctor.
Dou Zhao explained that she had already sent for one, but the closest doctor was ten miles away, and Wu Shan might not survive the journey. Dou Zhao grabbed Song Mo’s sleeve and implored him to look into her eyes. She knew he had the ability to read people’s true intentions and pleaded with him to trust her, assuring him she genuinely wanted to save Wu Shan and could do so.
Song Mo, moved by her sincerity, gave the order for his guards to surround them with screens, forbidding anyone to look in their direction under threat of death. Terrified of Song Mo, the onlookers complied. Dai Jian accused Song Mo of defiance, and Dou Shishu criticized him for acting arrogantly on their estate. However, Song Mo rebuffed them both. Just then, Wu Shan coughed up blood onto one of the screens. Wang Yingxue accused Dou Zhao of endangering the Dou family, while Dou Shishu and Dai Jian shifted all blame onto Song Mo.
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